Cartoning machine



March 10, 1953 J. F. CURRIVAN 2,630,903

CARTONING MACHINE Filed Feb. 26, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR JOHN F CURRlVAN mmzw March 10, 1953 J. F. CURRIVAN 2,630,903

CARTONING MACHINE Filed Feb. 26, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JOHN E CURRIVAN I; ATTORNEYS March 10, 1953 J. F. CURRIVAN CARTONING MACHINE Filed Feb. 26, 1951 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 n w m mt m lbkwr iii I wm mmw NM m: Q I g Q u m m I an m w m Q Q I W Ni 2 a Q n" INVENTOR JOHN E CURRWAN BY M ATTORNEYS March 10, 1953 J. F. CURRIVAN CARTONING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 26, 1951 INVENTOR Jouu E CuRRwAN wma ATTOR EYS March 10, 1953 J. F. CURRIVAN CARTONING MACHINE Filed Feb. 26 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Jbuu E CuRRwA BY M ATTORNEYS March 10, 1953 J. F. CURRIVAN 2,630,903

CARTONING MACHINE Filed Feb. 26, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR JOHN E CURRIVAN iz/M w ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE,

CARTON'ING John F. Currivan, Stuyvesant, N. Y.-, assignor to Emhart .Manufacturing Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application February 26, 1951, Serial No. 212,822

12 Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements in article divider mechanisms, and more particularly to divider mechanisms for cyclically distributing articles to loading devices for a carton loading machine.

One form of carton loading ma-chine with which this invention may be used is that shown and described in application Serial No. 79,439 of John F. Currivan filed March 3, 1949, for Carton Loading Device. The carton loading device disclosed in that application is illustrated as having utility with a carton erecting, handling, and conveying apparatus of the type shown and de scribed in application Serial No. 731,395 of A.

Ross, filed February 27, 1947, for Carton Loading Machine. In machines of the type shown in the Ross application, flattened cartons are fed to a carton conveyor or transport upon which they are erected to rectangular shape and then loaded with the articles to be packaged through an open end. The carton end flaps are closed after loading. The cartons are carried by the transport with their open end facing the side thereof so that they can be loaded through theopen end while the transport is moving continuously. The article to be loaded into the carton approaches the transport on a loading conveyor and is transferred from the loading conveyor to the carton on the transport by a loading device. The illustrated mechanism for transferring the articles from the loading conveyor to the carton is preferably that disclosed in the aforesaid Currivan application. A

When such machines are adapted to load a plurality of articles into asinglecarton-sequentially, a series of loading devices are usually'disposed along the side of the path of movement of the carton transport. Since it is customary to feed articles to a cartomng machine of this type in a single line along a supply conveyor, means must be provided to cyclically segregate these articles into a plurality of lines, one loading to each of the carton loading devices. Devices for this purpose are generally known as divider mechanisms.

Typical examples of .prior art devices for this purpose are disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,264,348, issued December '2, 1941, for Can Conveyor, to R. N. Weygant, and United States Letter Patent No. 2,273,509, issued February 17, 1942, to C. I. Braren for Can Arranging Machine. Such prior art devices have certain disadvantages in that they are either impositive in their actions, or they segregate articles by driving them from their normal path of travel with resulting possible damage to the-articles. The present invention contemplates the cyclic segregation of articles fed in-a line by feeding the articles of the line between a pair of rotors formed with coacting peripheral pockets for suc '2 cessively engaging the articles and providing article holding means associated with certain ones of the peripheral pockets of each rotor so spaced that a first article will be heldto one rot-or and carried thereby to one side of the normal path between the rotors, a succeeding article will be held to the other rotor and carried thereby to the other side of the normal path, and the next succeeding article is held to neither rotor so that it continues along the normal path between the rotors.

It is accordingly a primary object of this in vention to provide an improved and simplified mechanism for segregating articles fed in a single line into a plurality of lines on a feeding device. 7

An object of this invention is to provide an improved divider mechanism by which articles are cyclically segregated from a single line by pulling certain of thegarticles from the line.

A further object of this invention is to provide a divider mechanism comprising a rotor provided with peripheral pockets for engaging successive articles of a line and having means associated with certain of the peripheralpockets for holding an article therein so that an article so held will be pulledirom the line.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a divider mechanism comprising a rotor provided with peripheral pockets for engaging successive cans of a line and having magnetic means associated with certain of the pockets for holding a can therein.

A further specific object of this invention is to provide a divider mechanism comprising a rotor provided with peripheral pockets for engaging successiv articles of a line and having resilient gripping means associated with certain of the pockets for holding an article therein.

A further object of this invention is to provide a carton loading machine having a plurality of loading devices, a divider mechanism for cyclical- 1y segregating articlesfor transmission to the loading devices which comprises a rotorprovided with peripheral pockets for engaging successive articles of a supply line and having means asso ciated with certain of the pockets for holding an article therein so that articles so held in pockets will be removed from the line for transmission to one of the loading'devices and articles not so held will be positioned for transmission to am other loading device, and having conveyingmeans for carrying articles from the divider-mechanism to the loading devices.

A more specific object of this invention'is to provide-a carton loading machine having-a plurality of loading devices, a divider mechanism for cyclically distributing articles for transmission to the loading devices comprising a rotor provided with peripheral pockets for engaging successive articles of a supply line and having means associated with certain of the pockets for holding an article therein so that articles so held in pockets will be removed from the line for transmission to one of the loading devices and articles not so held will be positioned for transmission to another loading device, having oon-. veying means for carrying articles from the di-' vider mechanism to the loading devices and means associated with the loading devices and the divider mechanism for stopping the operation of the machine in the event that an article becomes jammed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a carton loading machine having a plurality of loading devices, a divider mechanism for cyclically distributing articles for transmission to the loading devices comprising a rotor provided with peripheral pockets for engaging successive articles of a supply line and having means associated with certain of the pockets for holding an article therein so that articles so held in pockets will be extracted from the line for transmission to one of the loading devices and articles not so held will be positioned for transmission to another loading device, conveying means for carrying articles from the divider mechanism to the loading devices and means associated with said machine for stopping the operation thereof in the event of failure of the supply to any one of said loading devices.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like parts have been designated by like reference numerals and wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of the carton loading machine of this invention;

Figures 2A and 23 together constitute a plan view of the carton loading machine; a

Figure 3A is a vertical sectional view of the carton loading mechanism taken along the line 3A-3A of Figure 2A;

Figure 3B is a front elevational view of the portion of the machine shown in Figure 2B;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the divider mechanism taken along the line 44 of Figure 2B;

- Figure 5 is a sectional view of a loading device taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 2A;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic showing of the motor control circuit of this carton loading machine;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a. modified divider mechanism; and

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view of the rotor structure of such modified divider mechanism taken along the line 88 of Figure 7.

The present invention is disclosed in connection with a cartoning machine adapted to continuously load six cans in their vertical position into each of a series of erected cartons fed along a carton transport past a plurality of loading devices. The carton erecting transport of this machine is substantially the same as that dislosed in the aforesaid Ross application while the car ton loading devices are similar to those disclosed in the aforesaid Currivan application.

The general layout of this cartoning machine is shown in Figure 1. This cartoning machine may be conveniently considered as having carton handling section for erecting and feeding open ended cartons along a path across the back of the machine, an article handling section for feeding articles across the frontof th machine, and

the carton erecting transport 29, the function of I which is to receive flattened cartons fed from a carton magazine 22 adjacent the right end of the transport 20, to erect these flattened cartons to substantially rectangular shape, to deflect the end flaps of these cartons adjacent the article handling section outwardly to receive articles, to close the end flaps at the opposite end, and to move the cartons at a constant rate along a path across the back of the machine.

The carton loading mechanism comprises a series of carton loading devices 24, 26 and 28 disposed between the article handling section and the carton handling section adjacent the path of movement of the erected cartons. These loading devices 24, 26 and 28 function to transfer articles from the article handling section into the open ends of the cartons. In the article handling section, means are provided for feeding a line of articles to each of these three loading devices from an article conveyor 30 at the right end of the machine. Article guide structure 32 formed with guideways leading to each of the carton loading devices 24, 26 and 28 is suitably supported over a continuously moving conveyor 34 for directing and feeding a line of articles to each of the loading devices. At the right end of the machine near the carton magazine 22, an article distributing or divider mechanism 36 is provided for feeding articles from the supply conveyor 30 and for sequentially distributing these articles to the several paths defined by the guide structure 32.

The general function of this machine therefore is the distribution of articles from a single line of a supply conveyor into a plurality of loading conveyor paths, feeding the articles so distributed to each of a like plurality of loading devices disposed adjacent a carton transport, and loading the articles so fed and distributed into the open end of the moving cartons.

The general layout of this cartoning machine is shown in the plan view thereof of Figures 2A and 2B. The carton handling section of this machine is in all respects substantially identical with that disclosed in the aforesaid Ross application. Spaced rows 40, 42, 44 and 4B of plates 48, which are secured to the base structure (not shown) by screws 50, define a planar base along which the erected cartons are moved through the machine. Three continuous chains 52, 54 and 56 are guided for continuous movement below the top surface of the bed plate rows 40 to 46 in the direction indicated by arrow 58. A series of groups of carton holding fingers 6| 62 and 64 is fixed at spaced intervals to these chains 52, 5d and 5B. Fingers 60 and 64 of each group are secured respectively to the outside chains 52 and 56 and are aligned and adapted to push a carton along the planar base as the chains advance. The finger 62 of each group is secured to the central chain 54 and extends vertically above the plane of the base between rows 42 and 44 of the bed plates. Each finger 62 coacts with the fingers 60 and 64 trailing immediately therebehind to support the cartons in their erected positions. The chains 52, 54 and 56 pass over sprockets 6B, 68 and "Ill respectively which are fixed for rotation with a tail shaft 12 at the right end of the carton transport base and over three similar sprockets (not shown) at the opposite anemone end-of the transport base which are fixed to a head shaft .(also now shown).

The erection of the cartons is accomplished by feeding a carton against the central leading finger 62 of each group as it is passing from its arcuate path while rounding sprocket 68 to its linear path along the transport base and by compressing the flattened cartons between the leading finger 62 and the pair of trailing pusher fingers 60 and 64 of the group as they pass from their arcuate path to their linear path. Flattened cartons are fed singly from the bottom of a stack of flattened cartons held in the'carton magazine 22 in timed relationship with the movement of the fingers of the carton transport so that a flattened carton is inserted between the leading finger .62 and trailing fingers of each group. As the carton is erected, the side and endflap of the carton at the end of the carton adjacent the .article handling section are deflected by suitable plows to their fully open position, while those at the opposite end of the carton are deflected by other suitable plows to their fully closed position. The plows for performing this operation, since they form no part of the present invention, are not shown in the drawings.

The mechanism for feeding flattened cartons from the magazine, for erecting these cartons,

for opening the side and end flap adjacent the article handling section, for closing the side-and end flaps at the opposite end of the cartons, and for transporting these erected cartons along a linear path at a constant rate has been described in quite general terms. Since the complete structural details of this mechanism are shown and described in the aforesaid Ross application, reference is made thereto for such further information as may be needed to understand this invention.

Article handling section As previously indicated, the general function of the article handling section is to receive articles fed in a single line along a continuously moving supply conveyor 30 and to feed and distribute these articles to the three carton loading devices 24, 26 and 28.

The articles to be cartoned are fed along the supply conveyor 30 between spaced guides 14 and 16 which are curved adjacent one endof the supply conveyor 30 to direct articles fed therealong from the conveyor 30 onto a receiving support plate 18. The support plate 18 extends between the supply conveyor 30 and the article loading transport 34, which as previously indicated conveys the article to the loading devices. Article guide structure 36 is supported above the conveyor 34 to guide the articles to the individual loading devices. This guide structure comprises four guide rails 80, 82, 84 and 86 which are supported above the conveyor 34 by bridge members 88 extending between support members 90 and 92 which are secured to the base on each side of the conveyor 34. Guide members 80 and 82 are suitably formed to direct articles fed therebetween by the transport 34 to the loading device 28, guide rails 82 and 84 are formed to direct articles therebetween to loading device 26, and guide rails 84 and 86 are so formed as to direct articles therebetween to loading device 24.

The function of the divider mechanism 36 disposed over the receiving plate 18 between the end of supply conveyor 30 and the transporting conveyor 34 is to sequentially distribute the ar ticles fed "thereto from conveyor .30 to the three paths as defined by the guide rails 80, 82, 84 and 06 which lead to the three loading devices.

Article divider mechanism As is shown in Figure 2B the article distributing mechanism comprises a pair of rotors or star wheel assemblies I00 and I02 mounted respectively for rotation about the spaced parallel vertical axes of shafts I04 and I06. As best illustrated in Figure 4, each of these rotors I06 and I02 includes a pair of discs I08 and I I0 known as star wheels which are formed with peripheral article receiving pockets and which are fixed in spaced relationship by spacers I I2 and bolts I I4. The rotors I00 and I02 are supported upon shafts I04 and I86 by annular members H6 and H3 which are secured to the top surfaces of the upper discs I03 of each assembly and to the shafts I04 and I06 b set screws I and I22.

Shaft I04 is held in its vertical position by a shaft support member I24 fixed in and extending through an aperture in the base casting side wall I26, shaft I04 being journalled therein by a pair of anti-fricti'onbearings I28 and I30 and axially fixed relative'thereto by the engagement an enlarged annular'portion I32 of shaft I04 with the inner races of both bearing I28 and I38. Shaft I06 is similarly supported by a bearing support member I34 fixed within an aperture through the other casting wall I36, shaft I06 being similarly journalled and axially fixed by a pair of antifriction bearings I38 and I40 mounted within the support member I34.

The spaced relationship of the upper end of shafts I64 and I06 is maintained by a cross bar I42 extending between the upper ends of the two shafts, shaft I04 being journalled relative to bar I42 by an anti-friction bearing I44 and shaft I06 being journalled relative to bar I42 by an antifriction bearing I46. Suitable cover plates I48 and I50 are provided for retaining the bearings I44 and I46 within the recesses formed in bar I42.

A drive shaft, for this mechanism, I52 extends transversely of the base casting through aligned apertures in walls I26 and I36, being journalled in. anti-friction bearings I54 and I56 mounted within external support plates I58 and I60 which, as is shown in Figure 3B, are secured to the-exterior of the sides by screws I62. A pair of oppositely facing bevel gears I64 and I66 are fixed to the shaft I52 in mesh respectively with bevel gears I68 and I10 which are fixed to the lower P ends of shafts I84 and I05. Power is transmitted to shaft I52 from a driven sprocket I12 througha ball-type overload release clutch I14, one element I16 of which is fixed to shaft I52 and the other element I 18 of which is fixed to the sprocket I 12. The two elements I16 and I18 of this ball-type overload release clutch I14 are resiliently held in engagement with the balls I83 thereof by a compression spring I82 surrounding shaft I52 between sprocket I12 and an adjusting nut I83 threadedly engaged with the rear extremity of shaft I52. The threaded engagement of nut I03 with shaft' I52 provides a convenient means for adjusting the compression of spring I82, and thereby the force necessary to release the drive through clutch I14. Upon the occurrence of an overload on shaft I52 the balls I of the clutch will ride out of the recesses formed in the adjacent faces of the clutch elements I76 and I18 to force element I18 and sprocket I12 rearwardly along shaft I52 against the force of compression spring I82 and thereby interrupt the drive from sprocket I72 to shaft I52. 4

As is shown in Figure 213, a microswitch I84 of the drive motor control circuit is fixed to the base of the carton transport by a bracket I85 adjacent the sprocket I I2 so that upon rearward movement of sprocket I12 in response to an overload upon the divider mechanism, the drive motor circuit will be disabled.

In order to effect the sequential segregation of articles fed to divider mechanism 36, means are provided in association with certain of the peripheral pockets of the rotors I and I02 for holding an article in those pockets. In the first embodiment of this invention, permanent U- shaped magnets are secured to rotors I00 and I02 in radial alignment with certain of the peripheral pockets thereon. In the present embodiment of this invention a permanent magnet I86 is secured in radial alignment with every third pocket around the periphery of each rotor. As is shown in Figure 4, permanent magnets I86 are associated in vertically aligned pockets of the upper and lower discs I08 and I I0, a permanent magnet I86 being secured to the lower side of upper disc I08 and to the upper side of lower disc H0 by suitable means such as by bolts I88.

Referring once again to Figure 2B, it will be noted that rotor I00 is driven in a clockwise direction, while rotor I02 is driven in a counterclockwise direction. Rotors I00 and I02 are fixed upon their respective shafts I04 and I06 in such a position that the center lines of their corresponding peripheral pockets arrive at the line between their respective axes of rotation simultaneously and that a peripheral pocket having a permanent magnet I86 associated therewith of only one of these rotors will arrive at the line joining the axes of rotation of the assemblies at any one time. Adjacent the outside guide rails 80 and 86 of the guide structure 32, stripper plates I90 and I92, each having a pad I93 of shock absorbing material thereon are provided for disengaging articles magnetically attracted to a peripheral pocket of the respective rotors I02 and This particular embodiment of this invention is adapted to sequentially distribute articles subject to magnetic attraction, such as cans, which are fed in a single line between guide rails 14 and 16 into three lines between guide rails 80 and 82, 82 and 84, and between 84 and 86.

In operation, the continuous line of cans extending between guide rails I4 and 1'6 is urged into engagement with the peripheral pockets of the star wheel assemblies I00 and I02 in the position in which pocket I94 and I96 are shown in Figure 2B by the pressure exerted by the line of cans behind the leading can due to the frictional engagement of these cans with the continuously moving conveyor 30. From this position a can is fed by the rotors I00 and I02 to the loading conveyor 34.

If, as in the case of corresponding pockets I94 and I96, a permanent magnet 186 is associated with the pocket I94 on rotor I00, the-can will be attracted by the magnets I86 to the pocket on the rotor I00 and held in that peripheral pocket until the can so held strikes the stripper plate I92. Stripper plate I92 will disengage the can from the peripheral pocket on the star wheel assembly I00 over the end of conveyor 34 so that it is then fed by the continuous movement of the conveyor 34 between the guide rails 84 and 86.

If, as in the case of corresponding peripheral pockets I98 and '200, no permanent magnet is associated with either, the rotor action will feed the can along a straight line between the rotors I00 and I02 to a central position on conveyor 34 to be fed thereby between the guide rails 82 and 84.

- If, as in the case of corresponding pockets 202 and 204, a permanent magnet I86 is associated withthe peripheral pocket 204 of the rotor I02, a can fed by these pockets will be held to the pocket of rotorv I02 until the can strikes the stripper plate I 90. The can having been carried through an arcuate path about the axis of rotor I02 and disengaged therefrom over conveyor. 36, it will be fed between the guide rails and 82.

Thus, the rotors I00 and I02 of the divider mechanism, feed cans from the end of the can supply line and sequentially distribute them into three separate lines on the loading conveyor 34. As is shown in Figure'ZA, guide rails 80 and 82 define a path for the cans leading to loading device 28; guide rails 82 and 84, a path to loading device '26; andguide rails 84 and 86, a path to Loading mechanism Each of the three loading devices 24, 26 and 28 includes a rotor assembly designated respectively as 206,- 208 and 2H] which is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis. Each of these rotor assemblies is-formed with spaced pairs of peripheral pockets adapted to receive cans therein as they pass the end of their associated can line during the rotation of the rotor. The structural details of these three rotors 200, 208 and 2I0 is substantially identical, that of rotor 200 being shown in detail in Figurefi:

The rotor assembly as therein shown comprises a pair of discs 2I2 and 2I4 in each of which the spaced pairs of peripheral pockets are formed as indicated at 2I6 and ZIB, a circular base plate 220, and a drum 222 intermediate the discs 2I2 and 2I4. Drum 222 is formed with annular grooves 224 and 226. These elements of the rotor assembly are suitably secured together by bolts 228, spacers 230 and 232 being provided between the drum 222 and the disc 2I2 and between the drum 222 and the disc 2I4 respectively to maintain the proper spaced relationship thereof. This rotor assembly 208 is fixed for rotation with a shaft 234, disc 2I2 being'fixed to a pair of plates 238 and 238, the latter of which is keyed to the shaft 294 as shown at 240.

Shaft 234 is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis in coaxial alignment with and in abutment with a second shaft 242 journalled immediatelytherebelow. A drive sprocket 244 and the drive element 246 of a ball type Overload release clutch 24'! are fixed to the shaft 242. The adjacent ends of shafts 234 and 242 are piloted within the bore of the driven element 246 of clutch 241, driven element 248 being keyed as at 250 to shaft 234 for axial movement relative to the shafts 234 and 242. A compression spring 252 surrounding the shaft 234 acts to compress into rigid engagement' all of the elements on shafts 234 and 242 between the enlarged annular shoulder 254 on shaft-234 and the enlarged annular shoulder 256 on shaft 242 andthus to force the two clutch elements 246 and 248 tog-ether with the ball 25B of the clutch assembly in engagement with the spaced apertures 260 and 262 formed through the faces of the. clutchelements 246 and 248. The compression spring 252 abuts at one end against an annular spacer264 which surrounds the shaft 234 intermediate the end of the spring 252 and the annular shoulder 254 thereof, and at the other end against an annular plate 265 fixed to a ring 258 which is threadedly engaged with the upper extremity of the sleeve portion 269 of clutch element 248. Ring 263 serves as a means for'adjusting the compression of spring 252 to thus adjust the axial thrust between the two clutch elements 246 and 248.

Shaft 242 is supported. in its vertical position by a thrust bearing assembly 230 which is secured to the bottom wall 2?? of the base casting. This thrust bearing assembly comprises a generally cylindrical housing 214 having a centrally located external flange portion 216 through which screws 218 extend to secure this housing to the base casting bottom wall 272, and an internal annular shoulder 283 formed within the upper end of the bore of the housing. A. pair of anti-friction bearings 282 andv 284, having their outer races separated by an annular spacer 286 and their inner races separated by an annular spacer 288, are mounted within the housing 214. The. outer race of bearing 232 engages the shoulder 28.; and the inner race of bearing 232,, the external annular shoulder 256 on shaft 242.. An annular cover plate 293, which engages the outer bearing race of bearing 234, is secured to the housing 214 by suitable screws 292 to support bearing assembly 270 within housing 214. The inner races of bearing 282. and 284 and the annular spacer 28.8 are forced together against the bottom of the annular shoulder 256 by a small circular plate 294 secured to the lower end of shaft 242 in engagement with the inner race of bearing 284by a screw 236.

A thrust bearing assembly 303 is provided for supporting the rotor assembly 238*,said bearing assembly 336 being mounted within an aperture 332 formed through base casting top wall 334. The circular plate 22 8' of rotor assembly 238 rests upon annular spacer 306 which abuts against the inner race of antifriction bearing 338. The inner race of bearing 33% engages the upper face of annular shoulder 254 of shaft 234. The housing 3 It for hearing 338 is provided with a. radially extending flange 312 resting upon the top face of the base casting top wall 304 and secured thereto by screws 3l-4. Housing 3| is formed at its bottom end within its bore with an internal annular shoulder 3 l 6' against which the outer race of bearing 338 rests. An annular retainer plate 3 i 3 which engages the top edge of the outer bear ing race ring is secured to housing member 312 by screws 323 to hold the bearing in its fixedposition relative to the casting top wall 304.

The upper end of shaft 234- is journalled by an anti-friction bearing 332 held'in plao'e by aremotor control circuit to effect stoppage of the drive motor upon the occurrence of an overload due to the jamming of a can in the loading device. Thus, upon the occurrence of an overload upon the rotor of a loading device, the drive between the drive sprocket 2.44 and the rotorshaf-t .234

will be mechanically disconnected by the overload release clutch and the drive motor will be simultaneously disabled.

Associated with each peripheral pocket of each loading device rotor 208 is a sensing device for determining whether or not a can has been fed into the peripheral pocket as it passes the end of the line of cans leading to that particular loading device. As is shown in Figure 2A, each of these sensing devices comprises a generally U-shaped bracket 332 secured to the top of disc 212, and a block 334 pivotally mounted between the arms of the member 332 upon a short shaft 335 as is shown in Figure 5. A sensing finger 338 is secured to the outer end face of block 334'. The mass of block 333 is so distributed that block 334 normally pivots about shaft 336 toward the center of the rotor assembly to theposition shown in Figure 5. In this position, the upwardly extending ear 343 of block 334 is in position to engage an actuating roller 342 of a normally closed microswitch 344. *Micrcswitch 344 is secured to the cross bar 32sby a bracket 346, one such switch bein provided for each loading device. As will appear presently, the microswitches 344 are so connected in the motor control circuit that upon actuation of a switch334 indicative of the absence of a can from the peripheral pocket of the loading device rotor after passing the end of the line'of cans fed thereto, deenergization of the drive motor is effected.

If a can is fed into the peripheral pocket, it will strike the sensing finger 338 to cause block 334 to pivot about shaft 333 in a clockwise direction as viewed in. Figure 5 to a position in Which the ear 343 of block 334 no longer is in position to engage the roller 342 to actuate the microswitch 344, Thus when block 334, is pivoted about shaft 333 to a position indicative of. the presence of a can in a peripheral pocket, microswitch 344' is not actuated during rotation of the loading device and the motor drive circuit is not deenergized.

Means are associated with each rotor assembly 238 for effecting transfer of cans from the rotor pockets to the cartons on the transport- As is shown in Fig. 3A, a drum 35! is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis between a pair of horizontally extending brackets 352 and 354 in association with each rotor assembly. Brackets 353. and 354 are secured to a vertical support member 355 which is secured to the top surface of the top wall 334 of the base casting by a bolt 353. Each drum 350 is formed with a pair of' peripheral grooves vertically aligned with the grooves 224 and 223 of the drum 222 of the associated rotor assembly. A pair of V-belts 360 and 36-2 surround both drums 222 and 350 and run in these aligned peripheral grooves so that drum 353 is driven from drum 222 through the medium of V-belts 333 and 362. As is best shown in Figure 2A, a plate 334, which is pivotally mounted at 3.66 between the upper and lower brackets 35.2 and 354 and which is provided with a screw 363ml adjusting its position about pivot axis 333, bears against the V-belts 360 and 362 to provide an adjustable solid backing for the belts.

In operation therefore, each of the loading devices 24, 23 and 28 will receive the leading two cans of the line of cans fed to that particular loading device in the first pair of peripheral pockets to pass the end of the line-of cans leading thereto. These cans will rest partially upon the circular plate 223 and be forced into the peripheral pocket. As the rotor rotates about its axis, the cans will be transferred through an arcuate path toward the open end of a carton fed along by the carton transport. As the cans come adjacent the transport, they are gradually forced from their peripheral pockets, urged in the direction of movement of the erected cartons and 1 1' gradually pressed into the open ends thereof by engagement with the V-belts 364 and 362.

Machine drive train The machine drive train may be best explained by reference to Figures 2A. 23, 3A, and 33. Power is supplied to this machine from a suitable drive motor (not shown) through a chain which engages a power input sprocket wheel 3!!! fixed to the rear extremity of shaft 3'12 the axis of which lies in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the direction of travel of the carton transport and in a line intersecting the axis of the vertical shaft 234 of loading device rotor 206. As as shown in Figure 3A, rotor 246 is connected to be driven from shaft 312 by a pair of meshing bevel gears 314 and 3'16, the former of which is fixed to the forward extremity of shaft 312 and the latter of which is fixed to a downward extension of the shaft 253 of rotor 8. A drive chain 318 extends around the sprockets 244 of each of the three rotor assemblies 206, 288 and 210 to transmit power from the shaft 256 of rotor 205 to the shaft 255 of rotors 288 and 2M. Suitable idler sprockets 38D and 382 are provided to maintain the proper degree of tension upon the drive chain 318 and to hold it in engagement with all of the drive sprockets 244.

Power is transmitted from the input sprocket 3'10 to the tail shaft l2 through a chain 384 which engages the sprocket 388 fixed to the shaft 372 and a sprocket 388 fixed to the tail shaft 12, being held in driving relationship therewith by an adjustably mounted idler sprocket 390. The transmission of the power to the tail shaft '12 of the carton transport causes the carton erecting transport mechanism to function in the manner previously described.

In addition to driving the carton erecting transport, tail shaft '12 in this machine serves as a power distribution shaft. Power is transmitted from tail shaft 12 to the article distributing mechanism 36 by the drive chain 391 which engages a drive sprocket 392 fixed to the tail shaft 12 and the sprocket I72 fixed to the shaft 152 of the article distributor mechanism, being suitably tensioned between these two sprockets by an idler sprocket 394 adjustably mounted relative to the base in the conventional manner. Power is transmitted from tail shaft 12 through a drive chain 396 to the loading conveyor 34, drive chain 336 engaging a sprocket 398 fixed to the tail shaft 12 and a sprocket 40B fixed to the drive shaft 402 of the conveyor 34.

Motor control circuit The motor control circuit for this machine is shown diagrammatically in Figure 6. Power is supplied to this machine through input terminals 404 and 436 from a suitable electrical power source (not shown). The three microswitches 344, which are associated respectively with the three rotors 206, 238 and 216 of the three loading devices 24, 26 and 28 respectively, the three microswitches 328 associated with the ball type overload release clutches 248 of each of the three loading devices, and the microswitch 1 84 associated with the divider mechanism 36 are all normally closed switches connected in series with the drive motor 408 across the power input terminals 464 and 405 so that the drive motor 498 will be disabled upon the opening of any one of these microswitches. As previously indicated in the detailed description of the divider mechanism. microswitch 184 will be actuated to its open position upon the occurrence of an overload of the divider mechanism 36. A microswitch 328 is actuated to its open position upon the occurrence of an overload upon the associated loading device. A microswitch 344 is actuated to its open position by the article sensing unit mounted adjacent the peripheral pocket of the loading device rotors If an article fails to feed into the rotor peripheral pocket as it passes the end of the associated supply line, the sensing device will actuate the associated switch 344 to its open position to disable the drive motor 468.

Article divider mechanism (second embodiment) The modified article divider mechanism, which is shown in Figures '7 and 8, differs from the first embodiment in that mechanical coupling elements or resiliently mounted article gripping means have been substituted for the magnetic coupling means of the first embodiment. In all other respects the structure and operation of the two embodiments of the divider mechanism are preferably identical.

The mechanical coupling elements comprise a bottom support plate 410 secured to the under side of the lower disc 412 of each of the rotors 414 and 455 and resiliently mounted spoon shape gripping fingers 416 secured to the upper surface of the upper disc 418 of the rotors in radial alignment with certain of the peripheral pockets formed around the periphery of the upper disc 418. As is best shown in Figure 7, the support plate 410 is formed with a plurality of radial projections 422 which are radially aligned with the peripheral pockets 424 of the lower disc 412 in vertical alignment with the peripheral pockets 420 with which the fingers 413 are associated.

As is shown in Figure 8, gripping fingers 413 are resiliently mounted on the upper disc 418 by a bolt 426, passing through apertures formed in gripping finger 416 and upper disc MS, and a compression spring 428 abutting at one end against the head of bolt 426 and at the other end against the gripping finger 413. As is shown in Figure '7, the rotors 414 and 415 are so positioned upon their respective shafts that articles fed by coacting pairs of pockets may be coupled to either or neither of these rotors.

A plate 43!] upon which articles are fed from the supply conveyor 30 is elevated above the top surface 432 of the base by an intermediate plate 434 to permit passage of the extensions 422 of the support plate 410 therebeneath.

In operation, articles are fed onto the plate 431) from the conveyor 34 and forced into engagement with the peripheral pocket of the rotors 414 and 415. If, as in the case of coacting peripheral pockets 436 and 438, coupling elements are associated with the peripheral pockets on the rotor 414, the articles are forced against the gripping finger 413 to lift it slightly to permit passage of the article thereunder, and as the article is carried from plate 430 by the rotation of the rotors 414 and 415 the article will be forced by the resiliently mounted finger 416 down against the associated projection 422 of the upport plate 410 to positively hold the article therebetween. In the case of corresponding peripheral pockets 436 and 438, the article will be carried through an arcuate path about the axis of rotation of rotor 414 to be deposited upon the loading conveyor 36 in the same manner as described in reference to the magnetic article holding means of the first embodiment. Articles fed by coacting pockets of the two rotors 414 and 415, neither of which are provided with an: article coupling elemenhare centrally deposited upon the loading conveyor 36. An article which is fed by a pair of coacting peripheral pockets of the two rotors in which an article coupling element i provided in the peripheral pocket on rotor 415, is deposited upon the loading conveyor 3E5 adjacent its forward edge. Articles are disengaged from the article gripping means by stripper plates Mill and M2 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

Applicant has thus developed new and improved means for segregating articles from a sin gle line into a plurality of lines. 1 In accordance with the present invention, an article divider mechanism is formed by the provision of a pair of rotors each formed with coacting peripheral pockets certain of which are provided. with means for coupling an article thereto to cyclically extract articles from a single line of articles fed thereto.

This novel article divider mechanism has'been combined with a carton loading machine provided with a plurality of carton loading devices operable sequentially to deposit articles into the open end of a carton and istherei-n utilized to sequentially distribute articles from a supply conveyor to position to be fed tothe saidplurality of loading devices.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from. the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of, the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed. and desired to be secured by 1 either of said rotors or pass therebetween without being coupled to either of said rotors.

2. The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said coupling elements are magnets spaced about the peripheries of said rotors.

3. The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said coupling elements are spaced coacting article gripping elements at least one of which is resiliently mounted.

4. In an article handling machine, means for feeding a line of articles in succession along a predetermined path, a pair of rotors mounted for rotation in timed relation about axes disposed on each side of the path of article movement and perpendicular thereto, each of said rotors being formed with peripheral pockets, said rotors being relatively positioned so that articles are individually embraced between coacting pairs of pockets as they move along aid predetermined path, and means in certain of the pockets of said rotors for positively holding an article therein, said holding means being so spaced about the rotors that an article may be held to either or neither of said rotors whereby an article embraced by a pair of pockets neither of which has an article holding means may continue along said predetermined "14 path-after passing-through said rotors, and an article embraced by a pair of pockets one of which has such article holding means is moved from said predetermined path along an arcuate pathabout the axis of the rotor having such holding means.

5. In an article handling machine, means for sequentially segregating the articles of a line of articles into first, second, and third series comprising. a pair of rotary conveyors mounted for rotation about spaced parallelaxes, each of said conveyors having a series of peripheral pockets thereon, means-for feeding a line of articles to said rotary conveyors, said conveyors being: so adiacentlyarranged that each article of said line is embraced by a pair'of coacting pockets, one on each orsaid conveyors, article coupling elements mounted onsaid conveyors in association with certain of said pockets for holding an article thereto, said: coupling elements being so arranged and relatively'spaced that'a first series of articles is advanced by said conveyors by pockets that are free of coupling elements, a second series of articles: is coupled to and'maintained upon one of said'conveyors by the coupling elements associated with the pockets of said one conveyors during their advance by the pairs of coacting pockets of said conveyors, and a third series of articles is coupled to and maintained upon the other of'said conveyors by-coupling elements associated Wlth'the pockets of said other conveyor during their advanceby the pairs of coacting pockets of said conveyors, and means for decoupling the articles from said conveyors.

6; In a can feeding apparatus, a selector gate comprising a pair of rotatable members each having aseries of circumferential surface pockets, can. holdingr'm'agnets' in. certain pockets of said members, means for feeding a single line of cans to said gate, said members being so adjacently arranged that each can of said line is embraced by a coactingpair of pockets on said members and advanced through said gate, and said holding magnets being so arranged and relatively spaced that aseries of said cans is advanced through said gate by pairs of pockets that are free of holding magnets, another series of saidcans is attracted to and maintained upon one of said members during their advance through the gate by'magnet' provided pockets on one of said memher and a magnet free pocket on the other of said members, and another series of cans is attractedto and maintained upon the other of. said members during their advance through the gate by magnet provided pockets on said other member andmagnet free pockets of said one member, and means-for stripping said other series of cans from said members to provide additional lines of cans issuing from said gate.

'7. In combination means for feeding a single line or articles along a fixed path, means at the end of said path for'cyclically segregating the articles of said line into three groups comprising a pair of continuous article conveyors each provided with a like plurality of peripheral pockets, said conveyors being so adjacently arranged that said pockets coact in pairs, one pocket on each conveyor, to embrace articles therebetween, a first group of coupling elements on one of said conveyors, one associated with each of a first series of said pairs of coacting pockets, a second group of coupling elements on the other of said conveyors, one associated with a second series of said pairs of coacting pockets, a third series of said pairs of coacting pockets being free of coupling elements, whereby an article fed by a pair of pockets of said first series follows the path of said one conveyor, an article fed by a pair of pockets of said second series follows the path of said other conveyor, and an article fed by a pair of pockets of said third series follows a path intermediate those of said conveyors.

8. In an article handling machine, a pair of rotors each formed with a like plurality of peripheral pockets, said rotors being mounted for rotation about parallel axes so spaced that articles may be embraced between coacting pairs of said pockets, one pocket of each of said pairs being on each rotor, each of said coacting pairs of pockets being of one of three mutually exclusive groups, each of th ccacting pairs of pockets of the first group being provided with coupling elements fixed to one of said rotors, each of the coacting pairs of pockets of the second group being provided with coupling elements fixed to the other of said rotors, and each of the coacting pairs of pockets of the third group being free of coupling elements.

9. In combination, a supply conveyor adapted to feed articles in a single line, a receiving conveyor adapted to feed articles in a plurality of lines, and a transfer and distributing conveyor interconnecting said supply and receiving conveyors comprising a pair of rotors each formed with a like plurality of peripheral pockets, said rotors being mounted for rotation about parallel axes so positioned and spaced that the articles on said supply conveyor can be successively embraced between coacting pairs of said pockets, one pocket of each of said pairs being on each rotor, each of said coacting pairs of pockets being of one of three mutually exclusive groups, each of the coacting pairs of pockets of the first group being provided with coupling elements to one of said rotors, each of the coacting pairs of pockets of the second groups being provided with coupling elements fixed to the other of said rotor, each of the coaoting pairs of pockets of the third group being free of coupling elements, and means for disengaging articles from said rotors over said receiving conveyor.

10. In combination, a supply conveyor adapted to feed articles in a single line, a receiving conveyor adapted to feed articles in a plurality of lines, a transfer and distributing conveyor interconnecting said supply and receiving conveyors, and drive means for said conveyor, said transfer and distributing conveyor comprising a pair of rotors each formed with a like plurality of peripheral pockets, said rotors being mounted for rotation about parallel axes so positioned and spaced that the articles on said supply conveyor can be successively embraced between coasting pairs of said pockets, one pocket of each of said pairs bein on each rotor, each of said coacting pairs of pockets being of one of three mutually exclusive groups, each of the coacting pairs of pockets of the first group being provided with coupling elements fixed to one of said rotors, each of the coacting pairs of pockets of the second group being provided with coupling elements fixed to the other of said rotors, each of the coacting pairs of pockets of the third group free of coupling elements, means for disengaging articles from said rotors over said receiving conveyor, and means for disabling said drive means upon the occurrence of an overload upon said transfer and distributing conveyor.

11. In combination, a plurality of carton loading devices, conveyor means for transporting a line of articles to each of said loading devices, a supply conveyor adapted to feed articles in a single line, and a transfer and distributing conveyor interconnecting said supply conveyor and said conveyor means comprising a pair of rotors each formed with a like plurality of peripheral pockets, said rotors being mounted for rotation about parallel axes so positioned and spaced that the articles on said supply conveyor can be successively embraced between coacting pairs of said pockets, one pocket of each of said pairs being on each rotor, each of said coasting pairs of pockets being of one of three mutually exclusive groups, each of the coacting pairs of pockets of the first group being provided with coupling elements fixed to one of said rotors, each of the coacting pairs of pockets of said second group being provided with coupling elements fixed to the other of said rotors, each of the coacting pairs of pockets of the third group being free of coupling elements, and means for disengaging articles from said rotor over said conveyor means in position for transport to said loading devices.

12. In combination, a plurality of carton loading devices, conveyor means for transporting articles along a plurality of paths to said loading devices, a supply conveyor adapted to feed articles in a single line, a transfer and distributing conveyor interconnecting said supply conveyor and said conveyor means, and drive means for said loading devices and said conveyor, said transfer and distributing conveyor comprising a pair of rotors each formed with a like plurality of peripheral pockets, said rotors being mounted for rotation about parallel axes so positioned and spaced that the articles on said supply conveyor can be successively embraced between coacting pairs of said pockets, one pocket of each of said pairs being on each rotor, each of said coacting pairs of pockets being of one of three mutually exclusive groups, each of the coacting pairs of pockets of the first group being provided with coupling elements fixed to one of said rotors, each of the coacting pairs of pockets of the second group being provided with coupling elements fixed to the other of said rotors, each of the coactin pairs of pockets of the third group being free of coupling elements, a sensing device mounted on each of said carton loading devices and operable to produce a signal indicative of the reception or non-reception of an article from said conveyor means, and means operable in response to a signal from said sensing device indicative of the non-reception of an article from said conveyor means to disable said drive means.

JOHN F. CURRIVAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,264,348 Weygant Dec. 2, 1941 2,285,283 Jones June 2, 1942 2,363,189 Magnusson Nov. 21, 1944 2,452,376 Hostebroe et al Oct. 26, 1948 2,466,962 Weymouth Apr. 12, 1949 2,536,516 Peterson Jan. 2, 1951 

